In elementary school, we were taught Drug Abuse Resistance Education – don’t do drugs, kids! Ironically, as high school students, we have lost our conscience and are committing blatant acts of drug consumption.
Drug use in MHS this year has been more prominent than ever. Despite school policies, a minority of students may be using recreational drugs during school hours. These drugs have produced stenches in the bathrooms, specifically before school, during break, and during lunch. The stench suspiciously smells like marijuana. In addition to smelling the odors released from drugs, some students have witnessed drug dealing taking place, most of which in boys’ bathrooms. Fortunately, the stench released from drug usage seems to dissipate in less than half an hour, replaced with the more familiar odors of toilets.
Does the administration and security in MHS also smell this issue? Despite the growing crisis of recreational drug use on campus, administration and security are not monitoring vigilantly, as use and distribution occurs multiple times daily. There may be several different problems that lead to the bathrooms having synonymous smells to downtown San Francisco. One is that there is a dearth of communication and reports from students to proper authorities about drug use. The majority of students choose to remain oblivious and uninvolved in suspecting or witnessing drug use or distribution. It is more convenient for students to ignore the smell and “go along with their business.” Reporting an instance of drug use may require time and paperwork, most students choose to remain bystanders and avoid the trouble. Furthermore, many students are familiar with idea of other students using drugs on campus. Although MHS does not have a significant drug use or distribution problem, those who do use drugs on campus lead to usage becoming more of a norm, to the extent where students and other people on campus ignore the illegal use.
Although most Schedule I drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, are illegal because of addiction and other dangers, marijuana is a more controversial recreational drug. Evidence indicates that marijuana is not dangerous and that there have been no instances where anyone has died by overdose or by effects of marijuana. In addition, marijuana may have beneficial, medicinal effects, such as pain relief, nausea treatment, and seizure prevention. These may be the reasons why marijuana has become a trending drug in the U.S. However, scientific studies suggest that the drug, like most other drugs, has numerous side effects, including potential causes of cancer, severe anxiety, and memory loss. Additionally, it is not an officially approved medicine.
It is worth noting that there is no lucid evidence that marijuana or any other drugs have been used in the bathrooms, but the occasional presence of stenches in the bathrooms is irrefutable. Whatever the smell may be, drug users in the future should note that anyone who uses marijuana or other drugs in the restrooms, please, don’t do it anymore; unflushed toilets is bad enough.